DES PLAINES – Pedestrians and bicyclists in Des Plaines will be able to enjoy safer access to a 55-mile trail running from the Wisconsin border down through central Cook County thanks to a combined $3.5 million investment in local infrastructure improvements, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) announced.

“The Des Plaines River Trail is one of the area’s most popular routes for families and commuters,” Murphy said. “These improvements will make it safer and easier for residents to enjoy miles of natural beauty.”

The City of Des Plaines will receive $1.9 million to create a sidepath, for use by both pedestrians and bicyclists, along the north side of Oakton Street between Des Plaines River Road and the Des Plaines River Trail. The new route will offer commuters and recreational users in Des Plaines safer and more direct access to the trail.

An additional $1.6 million will make improvements to Segment 2 of the Des Plaines River Trail through Rosemont.

These improvements are funded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), for which the Illinois Department of Transportation has selected 99 projects totaling $105.7 million. Projects receiving funding in this round of investment include biking and walking paths, trails, streetscape beautification, and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across the various modes of transportation at the local level.

Residents of the Northwest Suburbs will also see improvements to a number of other area trails for pedestrians and bicyclists through ITEP, including Clearmont Pedestrian Bridge over Salt Creek in Elk Grove Village and County Farm Road in Hanover Park.

“The new and improved Des Plaines River Trail will allow residents of Wisconsin, Lake County and Cook County to travel throughout the region without worrying about dangerous crossings, flooding and other obstacles,” Murphy said. “I’m excited to see these long-awaited projects take shape.”

DES PLAINES – Residents of Hanover Park will be able to spend time outdoors and stay connected to surrounding communities thanks to a $450,000 project extending the County Farm Road multi-use path, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) announced.

“A well-rounded community infrastructure system offers a range of accessible transportation options, including walking and bike paths,” Murphy said. “These improvements will make it safer and easier for residents to take in all the natural beauty our area has to offer.”

The project will extend County Farm Road south from the Hanover Park Metra Station and make safety improvements along the route. The extended path will connect County Farm Road to an existing bike path that reaches Mallard Lake and Hawk Hollow forest preserves, giving cyclists and pedestrians easy access to a greater trail network.

These improvements are funded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), for which the Illinois Department of Transportation has selected 99 projects totaling $105.7 million. Projects receiving funding in this round of investment include biking and walking paths, trails, streetscape beautification, and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across the various modes of transportation at the local level.

Residents of the Northwest Suburbs will also see improvements to a number of other area trails for pedestrians and bicyclists through ITEP, including Clearmont Pedestrian Bridge over Salt Creek in Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines River Trail in Rosemont and Oakton Street Sidepath in Des Plaines.

“Safe and well-maintained trails give residents, commuters and visitors the opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature,” Murphy said. “The new and improved County Farm Road will keep us connected with the environment and each other.”

DES PLAINES – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) was awarded the first-ever Des Plaines Chamber Community Partnership Excellence Award on Thursday in recognition of her service and dedication to the community and its businesses.

“It is the greatest pleasure and honor to continue to serve this community,” Murphy said at the ceremony. “The people in Des Plaines make this community the fabulous place it is. None of us do this work alone—it’s only because of the support of the residents that we’re able to do it.”

The Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce & Industry selected Murphy to receive the award because of her longtime efforts to improve pedestrian safety in the community, particularly along Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines.

DES PLAINES – To help community members protect their personal information from fraudsters, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is hosting a community shred event on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Acuity Brands Lighting, located at 1300 S. Wolf Rd. in Des Plaines.

“One way we can all prevent fraud and identity theft is by securely disposing of sensitive personal documents,” Murphy said. “Take advantage of this free and convenient opportunity to help keep your information out of the wrong hands.”

At this free community event, residents can securely dispose of any sensitive or confidential documents, like bank statements, paid utility bills and receipts.

The event will take place in the parking lot on the Wolf Road side of Acuity Brands Lighting, formerly known as Juno Lighting Group.

All residents, including those who are vaccinated, are asked to continue to adhere to COVID-19 prevention measures at the event by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing for the safety of anyone still waiting to be vaccinated.

Murphy is hosting the event in partnership with State Representative Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines).

“You can never be too careful when protecting yourself against financial fraud or identity theft which is why I strongly encourage any resident who has sensitive documents they need to get rid of to take advantage of this service,” Moylan said.

DES PLAINES – To help Illinois renters and landlords take advantage of up to $25,000 or 15 months in assistance through the Illinois Rental Payment Program, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is partnering with the Illinois Housing Development Authority to host an informational webinar via Facebook Live on June 9 at 5 p.m.

“Many families are still struggling with job and income losses due to the pandemic, and as a result, they’re behind on rent payments,” Murphy said. “This program offers much-needed assistance to renters who still need some time to get back on their feet.”

During the webinar, an official from the Illinois Housing Development Authority will provide a walkthrough of the application process, offer helpful tips and answer questions. The event will be streamed live on Murphy’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/SenatorLauraMurphy.

SPRINGFIELD – After months of negotiations with lawmakers, state agencies and other stakeholders, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is calling the state’s final budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year a win for students and working families:

“As we work toward a full recovery from the pandemic, it’s crucial that Illinois spends—and saves—smart. Every dollar represents a down payment on our state’s future.

“By closing loopholes and cutting back on unnecessary expenses, we were able to keep our promise to public schools and increase evidence-based funding by $350 million, making critical investments in K-12 education in a way that reduces the tax burden on local property owners.

“I’m proud to have helped craft a balanced budget that makes our full required pension payment, supports the middle class and spurs economic growth in all our communities. We’ve weathered the challenges of the past year—now it’s time to build back better.”

SPRINGFIELD – To increase transparency at all levels of government and ensure elected officials are held accountable for their actions, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) championed a measure to overhaul ethics laws in Illinois.

“Illinoisans deserve to be able to trust their government again,” Murphy said. “These long-overdue changes can help restore transparency and accountability to our state government, and begin to build back the public’s confidence.”

The legislative package includes numerous provisions to strengthen ethics laws surrounding economic interest disclosure, lobbying, campaign finance and compensation, including:

1. Prohibiting elected officials from lobbying other units of government for entities that lobby them;
2. Creating a statewide lobbyist database that requires those lobbying state, county, municipal or township governments to be registered and disclosed;
3. Barring elected officials in the General Assembly and officers in the executive branch from lobbying for firms registered to lobby the legislative or executive branches;
4. Forbidding local elected officials from lobbying for firms registered to lobby their own unit of government;
5. Establishing a six-month cooling-off period for executive branch elected officials and legislators becoming lobbyists;
6. Closing the Consultant Loophole by requiring individuals who may not directly communicate with officials and staff, but who help develop strategies to influence executive or legislative officials or staff to register with the database;
7. Banning in-person or virtual fundraisers anywhere in the state on a session day or the day before a legislative session day;
8. Prohibiting salaried appointees who are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate from serving as officers for political committees;
9. Authorizing the Executive and Legislative Inspectors General to initiate investigations independently, without the advance approval of their respective ethics commissions;
10. Enacting a clearer, more streamlined Statement of Economic Interest disclosure system; and
11. Pro-rating the salaries of General Assembly members who leave office prior to the end of their term.

“Government officials should serve the people—not their own financial interests,” Murphy said. “This legislation is a good first step, but I will continue pushing for reform to bring us closer to the ideals Illinois was founded on.”

Senate Bill 539 passed the Senate with unanimous support and now awaits the governor’s signature to become law.

SPRINGFIELD – Local park districts would have more time to complete projects funded through the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant program under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines), which has passed both chambers of the Illinois legislature.

“The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on many local governments’ development plans, and some are still working to get back on schedule,” Murphy said. “I’m thrilled to see the Illinois legislature come together to give park districts the support, flexibility and time they need to recover at their own pace.”